Underframe for railway-cars.



Patented out. 9, |900.

H'. KEITHLEY. UNDEBFRAME FOB RAILWAY CARS.

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25?/ M l f* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT. E. KE1THLEY,oF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

UNDERFRAIVIE FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFI'CATO'N forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,401, ated october 9, 1900. Application filed April 24, 1900. Serial No. 14,093. r(No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it Wawy con/cern.:

Be it known that I, HERBERT R. KEITHLEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Underframes for Railway- Gars, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide asteel underframe for railway-cars which combines with a minimum weight of metal a maximum degree of strength and rigidity, so as to eectually withstand the severe shocks to which vcars are subjected.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a fragmentary side elevation of my improved underframe. Fig. 2 is a transverse section in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end View of the underframe.

Like letters of reference refer to `like parts in the several figures. l

A represents the metallic side sills fof the underframe, B the center sill, and C one of the body-holsters. Each side sill comprises a dat horizontal top plate d, two vertical webs a', extending downwardly from the edges of said top plate, and horizontal flanges d2, projecting outwardly from the lower edges of said webs, as shown in Fig. 2.

The center sill Bis composed of a horizontal or bottom plate b, two Vertical Webs b', extending upwardly from the edges of said plate, and horizontal flanges b2, projecting outwardly from the upper edges of said Webs, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the sills A and B is formed from a single plate of pressed or rolled steel. The bottom plate of the center sill is riveted or bolted to the upper flanges of the bolster C, and the lower flanges ofthe side sills A are also riveted to said bolsterflanges. If desired, vthe sills may be reinforced by longitudinal tension-plates D,which are riveted to their bottom flanges 0.2, thus making these sills practically box-girders, as shown.

E represents the steel door-plates, which extend across the top of the side and center sills and which are riveted to the flanges b2 of the center sill and the top plates a of the side sills. In the construction shown in the drawings the two floor-plates are lapped together directly over the center sill and riveted to the flanges of the latter, by which construction the center sill forms practically a box-girder y of great transverse' and lateral strength and stiffness.

A side or center sill constructed as herein shown and described amounts in effect to y two Z-bars arranged to face and brace each greatest advantage, taking the same in direct compression and transmitting and distributing the shocks throughout the underframe by means of the door-plates and the body-bolsters, which are riveted directly to the center sill. Owing to the strength of such a sill a single center sill may-be employed, as showninthe drawings, instead of a plurality of sills,

as has hitherto been the common practice.

Each body-bolster is preferably composedV of a pair of Z-bars having their upper flanges arranged to face outwardly or in opposite directions and united by top and bottom plates ff', which are riveted directly to the flanges of said bars, .thus forming practically a boxgirder, as shown in Fig. l. The girder so formed is bent upwardly on opposite sides of the center sill and riveted through a third or intermediate tie-plate g to the two side sills, as shown. The intermediate plate g passes over the top of the center sill and forms, with the bod y-bolster, a diamond-shaped truss of great strength and stiffness.

The ends of the side and center sills are rigidly tied together by two horizontally-arranged Z-bars h h, which extend across the upper and lower sides of said sills, so that their front lianges overlap the ends of the sills, as shown in Figs. land 3, I is a horizontal channel-bar which extends across the ends of the side and center sills and embraces the two Z-bars h h. These Z-bars and the channel-bar I are secured to the end and center sills by rivets,which pass through the flanges of said channel-bar, the Z-bar, and the adjacent portions of the sills.

My improved underframe, comprising the IOO side and center sills and the holsters, is applicable to any type of railway-cars in general use.

If desired, the position of the center sill may be inverted, the horizontal plate b being located at the top of the sill Yand the flanges b2 at the bottom thereof. The side sills may also be inverted, if desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. An underframe for a railway-car having a side sill constructed of a single piece of metal and composed of a longitudinal plate and vertical webs arranged at the edges of said plate and each provided at its free edge with an outwardly-extending flange, substantially as set forth.

2. An nnderframe for a railway-ear having a center sill constructed of a single piece of metal and composed of a longitudinal plate and vertical webs arranged at the edges of said plate and each provided at its free edge With an outwardly-extending flange, said sill being formed from a single piece of metal, substantially as set forth.

3. An underframe for a railway-car having side sills, a single center sill constructed of an integral piece of metal and composed of a longitudinal plate and vertical Webs arranged at the edges of said plate and each provided at its free edge with an outwardly-extending flange, and a bolster connecting said side and center sills, substantially as set forth.

4.. An underframe fora railway-car having side sills each constructed of a single piece of metal and composed of a longitudinal plate and vertical Webs arranged at the edges thereof and each provided at its free edge with an outwardly-extending flange, a center sill constructed of a single piece of metal and composed of a longitudinal plate and vertical webs arranged at the edges thereof and each provided at its free edge withl an outwardlyextending ange, and a bolster connecting said side and center sills, substantially as set forth. l

5. An underframe for a railway-car having a side sill composed of a horizontal top plate and vertical Webs extending downwardly from the edges of said plate and each provided at its lower edge with an outwardlyextending ange, and a longitudinal bottom plate riveted to said flanges, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the side and center sills, of a body-bolster composed of a pair of Z-bars and top and bottom plates riveted to the lianges of said bars, and a tie-plate passing over the top of the cent-er sill and having its end portions riveted between the body-bolster and the side sills, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the side and eenter sills, of a pair of horizontally-arranged Z-bars extending across the end portions of said sills on their upper and lower sides, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the side and center sills, of a pair of horizontally-arranged Z-bars extending across the end portions of said sills on their upper and lower sides, and a channel-bar embracing the ends of said sills and said upper and lower Z-bars and rivet-ed to the saine, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 13th day of April, 1900.

HERBERT R. KEITHLEY.

Witnesses:

CYESTA HORNBECK, JN0. J. BoNNER. 

